Chapter 69
“I’m serious about marriage,” Lou Mi said.
“You’re the older sister, I’m the younger sister…”
“Just because we call each other sisters doesn’t mean we are sisters. You know that, right?”
“But marriage… isn’t that rushing things?”
“I’m not rushing anything, but your mom is.”
“My mother?”
“She knows we slept together last night.”
“How?!”
“You didn’t leave my room all night. Did you think they were blind?”
“…I thought they didn’t notice.”
“They didn’t, at first. But I ran into your mom when I went to get drinks. She asked if I’d seen you, and I accidentally let it slip that you were in my room.”
“…Accidentally?”
“Why would I lie?”
“And what was her reaction?”
“She immediately opened an app on her phone to check auspicious dates.”
“???”
“To find a good day for our wedding.”
“Why is she in such a hurry? She and Uncle aren’t even married yet.”
“They’re worried about your feelings. They decided to postpone their own wedding. Didn’t you always object to them getting married? They’re practically glued together, but they haven’t made it official. Why do you think that is? They were respecting your feelings, ready to remain unmarried for your sake. Now that you and I are… progressing, they see a brighter future. Your mom and my dad said they’ll start planning their own wedding after ours.”
After breakfast, Lou Mi left for the club. With another match tomorrow, she had to prepare. She was busy until dinner, when she finally found time to contact Chi Lin.
Their WeChat conversation felt like explaining things to a small child. Chi Lin, having lived with this family for several months, thought she was finally adapting to modern life, but clearly, she still had much to learn.
Chi Lin had heard of eras where losing one’s virginity meant mandatory marriage, but those were relics of backward societies. This was 2043, the era of high-speed transpacific travel and the first Martian colonies. Arranging a marriage after a kiss? Were the Lous overly eager, or was she just out of sync with modern times?
It made Chi Lin anxious.
Scrolling back through their chat history, Lou Mi sensed Chi Lin’s unease. Remembering Chi Lin’s flushed face from last night, Lou Mi’s heart softened. She couldn’t bear to pressure her.
“Those are just their thoughts, don’t take them too seriously. Marriage is a decision for you and me to make.” Opting for a gentler approach, she added, “I might be back late tonight. Go to sleep if you’re tired.”
Sending the message, Lou Mi congratulated herself on her cleverness. The surface meaning was considerate, but the hidden message was “Wait for me if you’re not tired.” Simplified, it was “Wait for me.”
She was confident Chi Lin would understand.
After about 30 seconds, Chi Lin replied: “I’ll wait for you.”
Lou Mi squealed internally, replaying Chi Lin’s voice message, her heart overflowing with sweetness.
“Okay, okay,” Lou Mi cooed into her phone. “Wait for me then. You promised, no backing out.”
As she sent the message, she noticed the door to her lounge was slightly ajar.
Hu Hu and Slay stood outside, hesitant to enter.
Lou Mi’s expression changed instantly. “Something I can help you with?”
“Buyu-jie asked us to tell you dinner’s ready,” Hu Hu said, unconsciously using formal language under Lou Mi’s gaze.
“Coming.”
Hu Hu: “Sorry to disturb…”
Lou Mi: “You did.”
Slay quietly closed the door.
Slay: “We survived.”
Hu Hu: “No wonder Buyu-jie sent us. She knew Mi-jie’s mood has been unpredictable lately. She used us as cannon fodder.”
“But Mi-jie seemed happy when she was talking on the phone just now.”
“You’re still young, you don’t understand. Women are a different species.”
…
At home, Chi Lin did her homework and browsed the internet, waiting for Lou Mi. She kept thinking about how Tan Luo knew about Dayuan. A possibility occurred to her, and she consulted the smart home system.
“Mr. System, can a lost phone be unlocked without the password?”
System: “Yes, it’s possible.”
Chi Lin inquired about the methods, learning that modern devices weren’t as secure as she thought, with numerous vulnerabilities. Some hackers could even remotely control devices. Unlocking a phone and accessing its data probably didn’t require advanced hacking skills.
Chi Lin thought for a moment, then asked, “Can I track the location of my lost phone?”
System: “Yes, if location services were enabled, you can track its movements when it’s turned on. As a minor, your phone had parental controls, which included mandatory location tracking. If you didn’t disable it after turning 18, it’s still active.”
“I didn’t even know about that, so I definitely didn’t disable it. Please track its location.”
The system displayed a map projection on the wall. Chi Lin saw her phone had been in an area she’d never visited: a luxury residential area called Coastal No. 1.
This confirmed her suspicions.
Her phone rang. It was a video call from Lin Xiaozhi.
“Are you home?” Lin Xiaozhi asked. “I need to talk to you about something.”
“Yes. Are you and Zhuoning coming together?”
“No, just me.”
Lin Xiaozhi rarely interacted with Chi Lin alone. Ever since they became deskmates, it had always been the three of them, including Wei Zhuoning. This solo visit, coupled with the rumors about Lin Xiaozhi and Tan Luo, made Chi Lin suspect it was about Tan Luo.
Fifteen minutes later, Chi Lin and Tiger met Lin Xiaozhi at the entrance of Longrun Gardens.
Lin Xiaozhi wore no makeup, her hair loose, a yellow down jacket, and a face mask. After greeting Chi Lin, they walked to the park together.
After letting Tiger run around, they sat on a heated bench.
Tiger, unfazed by strangers, sniffed Lin Xiaozhi, rolled around at her feet, and then promptly fell asleep.
Looking at the surprisingly green surroundings, Lin Xiaozhi asked, “Are you dating Tan Luo? Zhuoning and I saw you two together at the mall that day. You even watched a movie together.”
“I wouldn’t call that a date,” Chi Lin said. She hadn’t met Tan Luo with any romantic intentions.
Expecting Lin Xiaozhi to gossip, Chi Lin was surprised by her serious tone. “Is she threatening you?”
Chi Lin considered this, then shook her head. Tan Luo’s actions didn’t qualify as threats.
Lin Xiaozhi scoffed. “Then she’s trying to win you over. Tan Luo is very good at manipulating people. She’ll do anything to get what she wants, showering her target with attention and gifts, gaining their trust, then… well, you know. Her ultimate goal is to get them into bed. Now her target is you, Chi Lin. Once she gets what she wants, she’ll quickly lose interest. Several senior students fell for her tricks last year.”
Lin Xiaozhi had expected Chi Lin to be shocked, or at least uncomfortable, assuming Chi Lin, like most high schoolers, was fairly innocent. But Chi Lin’s focus wasn’t on the “bedding” part. She asked, “How did she win you over?”
So Chi Lin knows about us.
Lin Xiaozhi: “Did Wei Zhuoning tell you about my… past?”
Chi Lin: “She didn’t have to. Your relationship with Tan Luo was quite well-known at South Lake Third High.”
Lin Xiaozhi was momentarily speechless, swallowing a string of curses. “Tan Luo might seem ditzy, but she’s a master manipulator.”
Getting involved with Tan Luo had been a moment of weakness for Lin Xiaozhi. She didn’t want to use “youthful ignorance” as an excuse, but it had been a mistake. That’s why she’d hesitated before coming to see Chi Lin today.
Lin Xiaozhi’s connection with Tan Luo stemmed from Wei Zhuoning, though Wei Zhuoning herself was unaware of this.
“You know Zhuoning and I were classmates in middle school. I was the class president back then, too. Zhuoning’s grades weren’t great, but not as bad as now. She was average.”
In middle school, Lin Xiaozhi, taller than her peers due to early development, sat behind Wei Zhuoning. She often poked Wei Zhuoning’s head when she slouched, and Wei Zhuoning would retaliate by biting her, resulting in both of them being sent to stand outside the classroom.
Initially, Lin Xiaozhi found Wei Zhuoning annoying, but she later realized Wei Zhuoning wasn’t truly aggressive, just… silly. She looked fierce, but she was actually naive and easy to tease, constantly looking like the world owed her a million dollars, exploding at the slightest provocation. But her explosions were like firecrackers, all noise and no real impact.
Wei Zhuoning was perfect entertainment. Teasing her and watching her get riled up was a great stress reliever.
As she continued her teasing, Lin Xiaozhi discovered that Wei Zhuoning wasn’t just silly and aggressive, but also kind.
Lin Xiaozhi had a sensitive stomach. Being image-conscious during puberty, she often skipped meals, afraid of gaining weight.
Whenever Wei Zhuoning arrived at class and didn’t see Lin Xiaozhi teasing her, she knew Lin Xiaozhi was having stomach problems again. “What’s wrong? Did you eat something bad again?”
Lin Xiaozhi would glance weakly at the nosy girl, surprised to find genuine concern, not mockery, in her eyes. Silly girl, she thought, eating something bad… it’s because I didn’t eat anything. She usually ignored her; the pain would subside after a while.
That day, Wei Zhuoning skipped morning reading. She returned just as the homeroom teacher arrived, and was promptly scolded. Unfortunately, the teacher had just lectured them about their abysmal average test scores the previous day. As they neared graduation, they knew such lectures were followed by a period of stricter discipline. Skipping class at such a time was asking for trouble.
After a lengthy scolding in the office, a written apology, and a call to her parents, Wei Zhuoning was half-dead.
Lin Xiaozhi witnessed it all, once again lamenting Wei Zhuoning’s lack of common sense. With her current grades, attending a top high school was out of the question. South Lake Third High was her best bet.
Despite the repercussions, Wei Zhuoning skipped class again a few days later, coinciding with another bout of Lin Xiaozhi’s stomach pain. Lin Xiaozhi was in too much pain to care. Stubborn girl, what could be so important that she had to skip class?
Wei Zhuoning returned, breathless, having walked instead of taking a taxi to save money. She waited outside the classroom for half a period, then slipped in through the back door after the teacher left, placing a box of stomach medicine on Lin Xiaozhi’s desk.
Lin Xiaozhi, clutching her stomach, looked up. “?”
“This medicine is really good for stomach aches.” Wei Zhuoning was sweating, her collar damp.
Lin Xiaozhi was puzzled. “You skipped class just to buy me this?”
“Just ‘this’? It’s a miracle cure! Everyone who’s tried it says it works.”
“Did you skip class last time to buy me medicine, too?”
Wei Zhuoning blushed, embarrassed that the medicine she’d bought last time had been confiscated. “Why so many questions? Just take it. My mom often has stomach aches, I know how painful they can be. This is a prescription medicine, I had to get my mom’s prescription to buy it. Try it.”
Lin Xiaozhi, despite her pain, smiled. “You’re such a silly girl…”
Wei Zhuoning: “Why are you calling me silly again?”
“You can’t just take prescription drugs without a doctor’s advice.”
“Oh, really?”
“But…” Lin Xiaozhi clutched the medicine. “Thank you.”
Wei Zhuoning blushed again. “We’re classmates, no need for thanks. Too formal.”
Skipping class twice for a box of medicine… Lin Xiaozhi couldn’t help but wonder. Does she like me? Why else would she be so nice to me?
Lin Xiaozhi, beautiful, intelligent, and from a wealthy family, had never lacked admirers, but they were mostly boys, and she wasn’t interested. She preferred girls.
This was the first time she’d felt a girl’s affection in real life. She started paying closer attention to Wei Zhuoning, trying to gauge the extent of her feelings.
After two months of observation, Lin Xiaozhi concluded she’d been mistaken. Wei Zhuoning was kind to everyone, always willing to help, a true people-pleaser. Lin Xiaozhi wasn’t special.
Disappointed, Lin Xiaozhi mentally labeled Wei Zhuoning as an indiscriminate giver. Why bother pleasing everyone when they don’t care about you? She hadn’t noticed before, but Wei Zhuoning always agreed to every request, to the point where some girls in class started taking advantage of her, asking her to buy breakfast, carrying it back for them without even offering to pay, just showering her with empty praise.
Hearing this, Chi Lin was incredulous. “Are you sure you’re talking about the Wei Zhuoning I know?”
“Yes, it’s her. You wouldn’t believe how naive she was in middle school. Her family wasn’t wealthy, but she kept wasting money on others. I lectured her a few times, and she eventually came to her senses.”
Chi Lin remembered Wei Zhuoning buying her a chicken leg in the cafeteria, which had been wasted by Xu Yifang and her friends.
Unable to stand Wei Zhuoning’s self-sacrificing behavior, Lin Xiaozhi took her to the school field after class for a talk.
“They don’t appreciate it, they just see you as a servant,” Lin Xiaozhi said bluntly. “Do you think money grows on trees?”
Prepared for an argument, Lin Xiaozhi was surprised when Wei Zhuoning remained silent, then finally mumbled, “I just… want to have friends.”
Her words, and the expression on her face, struck a chord in Lin Xiaozhi.
“What are you talking about?” Lin Xiaozhi asked, slightly annoyed. “Aren’t I your friend?”
Wei Zhuoning looked at her incredulously. “You think so? I always thought you hated me.”
“I…” Lin Xiaozhi rolled her eyes, swallowing her curses, afraid of scaring the silly girl. Forcing a sweet smile, she said, “Why would I hate you? I’m always interacting with you, aren’t I?”
“I thought you were trying to get rid of me.”
Lin Xiaozhi: “…” So this poor girl is actually insecure, she realized, seeking validation by pleasing others. Where did this insecurity come from? Why was she such a people-pleaser?
Lin Xiaozhi’s curiosity about Wei Zhuoning grew. She wanted to understand her, her family background.
Wei Zhuoning, noticing Lin Xiaozhi’s sudden interest, was baffled. Why would a perfect student like Lin Xiaozhi care about her? Her insecurity led her to distance herself from Lin Xiaozhi, even stopping talking to her.
Lin Xiaozhi was exasperated. Wei Zhuoning fawned over people who didn’t care about her, and rejected those who did.
The more Wei Zhuoning resisted, the more determined Lin Xiaozhi became to understand her.
That’s when her online friend, “Peach Blossom Pool,” accurately pinpointed her weakness.
“Is this person you’re talking about named Wei Zhuoning?” After listening to Lin Xiaozhi’s woes, Peach Blossom Pool, surprisingly, knew Wei Zhuoning’s name. “I know a bit about her family.”
Lin Xiaozhi was curious. “How do you know about her family?”
“Wei Zhuoning’s mother works at my uncle’s factory. She’s a very hard worker, wins the Employee of the Year award every year.”
Lin Xiaozhi had heard rumors about Wei Zhuoning’s mother working at a factory.
“What else do you know?” Lin Xiaozhi asked eagerly.
“That’s all I know, I haven’t really asked about her. But she’s my uncle’s employee, so it would be easy for me to find out more if you’re interested. How about we meet up? I can tell you more.”
At the time, Lin Xiaozhi hadn’t thought much of it, eager for any information about Wei Zhuoning. She hadn’t realized she was being played by Tan Luo, who continued to string her along for two years, from the end of middle school through the first year of high school.
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